A Messy Life is a Holy Life
Couples’ Evening Retreat
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
5:30 to 9:00 p.m. (ET)
Ben and Liza Peters
As Christians, we are called to live a life of holiness. Pope Francis says: “We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness is everything we do.” However, life as a couple can sometimes seem more messy than holy! Perhaps we do not think of ourselves as holy people – we look to others as examples of holiness but not ourselves. How, as a couple, in the midst of our busy, messy lives answer this call to a life of holiness? Pope Francis continues: “This holiness to which the Lord calls you will grow through small gestures.” During our time together, we will explore the small ways in which we bear witness to one another and support one another. This is the path to holiness for couples living in the modern world.
This program will be offered both in-person and online via Zoom. Information on how to access the program on Zoom will be sent to participants in advance.
Offering: $50 per person (includes dinner and wine & cheese from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.)
Presenter Profile
Ben Peters is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Saint Joseph. He is the author of Called to Be Saints: John Hugo, the Catholic Worker, and a Theology of Radical Christianity (Marquette University Press, 2016); and his new book, Catholic Pacifist: The Long, Lonely Quest of Gordon Zahn is forthcoming (Catholic University of America Press). A co-founder of the St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker house in South Bend, Indiana., he and Liza have four kids and live in West Hartford, and have been married for 20 years. Prior to married life, Ben was a Jesuit Volunteer in Kingston, Jamaica and then a Franciscan Lay Missioner in Nairobi, Kenya.
Liza Peters is the director of youth and young adult ministry at Holy Family and a retreat team member. Prior to joining Holy Family in 2011, she served as director of religious education at a parish outside Dayton, OH, and worked and lived in community at the St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker House in South Bend, IN. She holds a B.A. in psychology and a Master of Divinity from the University of Notre Dame.
Dietary restrictions? Holy Family is committed to making your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, and to that end, we can accommodate most dietary needs. Please email Ted, our registrar, at tjastrzebski@holyfamilyretreat.org, if you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, so that we may make preparations in advance of your retreat.